​CEN director Adah Almutairi’s lab developed the first-ever material to degrade in response to biologically safe powers of near infrared light. Near infrared can penetrate living tissue, so this polymer helps pave the way for nanoparticles that deliver drugs on demand. Light-triggered degradation is likely to be safer and more compatible with a broad range of drugs than other, less direct strategies for near infrared-triggered release, so its significance was widely recognized. Science NOW! explained the chemistry and ACS News focused on potential applications.